Temporal Tables Under The Covers
(This is a more technical post than last week. If you are not familiar with SQL Server internals, I will not be upset if you skip it. Otherwise, let’s dive in.) Last week I introduced…
General
An Introduction to Temporal Tables in SQL Server 2016 using a DeLorean
In 1983, Cyndi Lauper recorded the Billboard chart-topping single, Time After Time, which went on to win the hearts of many lovers in the three decades since then. In 1985, Marty McFly used a DeLorean,…
The SQL Server Family
(This is a non-technical post, and is part of the #SQLNewBlogger Challenge.) This year was my second PASS Summit, and my favourite one so far. Many of the data professionals in attendance with whom I…
Time to upgrade your SQL Server 2005 instance
Last edited on 17 November 2016. As you know, SQL Server 2005 is now over ten years old. Microsoft has helpfully provided a list of ten reasons why you should be upgrading from SQL Server 2005. The…
I’m speaking tomorrow
The local SQL PASS chapter in Calgary is hosting yours truly as the speaker for this month. I only have an hour, which I will easily go over, to talk about how I make SQL…
Speaking at Calgary SQL PASS User Group on 19 August 2015
As the title says, I’ll be speaking at the Calgary SQL PASS User Group on 19 August 2015. My topic is SQL Server Performance Tuning Starter Kit, where I will tell you as much as…
How I prepared for my first ever SQLSaturday session
I presented for fifty minutes on 27 June 2015, for my first ever SQLSaturday talk. The amount of time I put into that presentation is easily 200 hours, not counting my experience as a college…
Announcing Azure Blob Storage Sync and Restore
Yesterday at SQLSaturday #407 in Vancouver, I announced availability of a free tool to synchronise and restore your SQL Server backups using Azure Blob Storage. It can work alongside your existing backup process, and leverages…
Database Corruption Challenge
Steve Stedman has been running a contest over on his site, the Database Corruption Challenge, which I discovered last week quite by chance through Twitter. Not to brag, but I’ve been the fastest to solve…
Total Recall
This is the final entry in my #SQLNewBlogger challenge. You can read the previous entries here: Part 1: The Intersection of Art and Science Part 2: The Art of Improvisation Part 3: What Motivates You?…
The Art of Improvisation
This is the second post in my four part series for the #SQLNewBlogger Challenge. You can read the first part here. On Saturday, 28 March 2015, I moved three servers and various networking equipment from…
The Intersection of Art and Science
This is the first post in a series of four, where Ed Leighton-Dick, via Brent Ozar, is proposing that we SQL Server folks participate in the #SQLNewBlogger Challenge. I write a fair number of words…
Do it now: Date and Number tables
Your production environment needs Date and Number tables, to help you Get Stuff Done in sets instead of RBAR*. Doug Lane has a video on Why You Simply Must Have a Date Table. I really…
Assumption Sandwich
Today we went live with a product we’ve been working on for A Long Time, in which a team of five has put in A Lot Of Work. During the walk-through with the customer, loading…
Too quiet
This blog has been neglected for the past year. Ironically, I’ve been developing a fairly complex SQL Server database for a new company, which is why I haven’t spared a thought this way. Tonight was…